Plebeia droryana (Friese)

Roig-Alsina, Arturo & Alvarez, Leopoldo J., 2017, Southern distributional limits of Meliponini bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in the Neotropics: taxonomic notes and distribution of Plebeia droryana and P. emerinoides in Argentina, Zootaxa 4244 (2), pp. 261-268 : 262-263

Plebeia droryana (Friese)

( Figs. 1–5 , 15 )

Trigona droryana Friese, 1900: 391 ( Brazil: 2 workers and 2 males from Espirito Santo, and several workers from Bahia, Drory leg. Type specimens lost).

Diagnosis. The worker of Plebeia droryana is characterized by the following combination of features: the narrow paraocular yellow band, over two thirds as long as the eye ( Fig. 1 ); the uninterrupted yellow band beginning close to the anterior margin of the scutum and continued on the axilla, and all around the posterior margin of the scutellum ( Fig. 2 ); the longitudinal yellowish band on the middle of the clypeus; the sparse punctation of the scutum (punctures between notauli separated by 2 puncture diameters) with shiny integument between punctures; the unbranched hairs on the disk of the scutum; and the reduced malar space, 0.3 times the diameter of the third flagellomere. The male is characterized by the peculiar shape of the fifth metasomal sternum ( Fig. 4 ), with fingerlike lateral lobes twisted latero-posteriorly and bearing a brush of very long plumose setae. The genital capsule and the sixth metasomal sternum are as in figures 3 and 5.

Comments. We have not been able to locate any syntype of P. droryana , and we use the name here as it has been interpreted by J. S. Moure (specimens identified by him in collections). This species has been the subject of numerous studies of anatomy, social behavior, ecology, etc. ( Camargo & Pedro 2007). The identity of the species dealt with, at least in most of these works, is illustrated by Cortopassi-Laurino (1978) in her dissertation on the males of P. droryana . Cortopassi-Laurino (1978, plate AB2) presents drawings of the male metasomal sterna, including the diagnostic fifth sternum. This usage is followed here. The designation of a neotype would be desirable, but we have insufficient acquaintance with the distribution and variation of the species in Brazil in order to select such a specimen. Furthermore, this is a delicate matter, taking into account the nearly nine printed columns of references for P. droryana in the catalog of Camargo & Pedro (2007), which deal with multiple aspects of the biology of the species. Plebeia droryana is widespread in the province of Misiones and in the Yungas (including parts of the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta and Tucumán), but it does not occur in the intervening Chaco region. Its distribution extends to the south to some localities in the northeast of the province of Buenos Aires ( Fig. 15 ).

Material studied: (934♀ 55♂) ARGENTINA . Buenos Aires: 3♀, Capital Federal, Jardín Botánico Facultad Agronomía , 29-XII-1994, 24-I-2006, A. Roig Alsina ( MACN) ; 1♂, San Miguel, 22-XI-2003, G. Zubarán ( MACN) ; 1♀, Pdo. Florencio Varela, 5 Km SE Bosques, 15-XI-1997, A. Roig Alsina (MACN); 43♀, Capital Federal, Jardín Botánico Facultad Agronomía , 10-XI-2008, 27-XI-2008, G. Cilla ( MACN) ; 2♀ 12♂, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, 18-XI-2013, L. Compagnucci ( MACN) . Catamarca; 1♀, La Viña , 9-XI-1942, Ogloblin ( MLP) ; 1♀, Tapso , 2-XII-1942, Ogloblin ( MLP) . Jujuy; 10♀ , Jujuy ( MACN) ; 6♀, San Lorenzo, 1-X-1911, Jørgensen ( MLP) ; 2♀, Caimancito , 9-XI-1942 ( MLP) ; 1♀, San Salvador de Jujuy, 13-IX-2009, Meriggi-Alvarez ( MLP) ; 10♂, El Fuerte , Depto. Santa Bárbara, (- 24.266S - 64.416W, 1423 m.a.s.l), 2-XII-2010 , Flores ( MLP); 3♂, San Lucas , Depto. Valle Grande, (- 25.533S - 65.083W, 1896 m.a.s.l), 16-XI-2010 , Flores ( MLP) . Misiones; 1♀ , Misiones, 11-X-1909, Jørgensen ( MLP) ; 1♀, Misiones, 30-IX-1910, Jørgensen ( MLP) ; 7♀, Misiones ( MACN) ; 1♀, Puerto Rico, 29-III-1 949 ( MLP) ; 1♀, San Ignacio , XII-1946, J. Montes ( MLP) ; 16♀, Loreto, 15-III-1949, 17- III-1949, Ogloblin ( MLP) ; 6♀ 1♂, Loreto, Ogloblin ( MLP) ; 5♀ 2♂, Loreto, III-1950, Ogloblin ( MLP) ; 1♀, Loreto, II-1946 ( MLP) ; 12♀, El Dorado, 9-XII-1945, Schenkel ( MLP) ; 9♀, General Manuel Belgrano , 15-V-1949 ( MLP) ; 9♀, San Pedro, Reserva Esmeralda , (- 26.893S - 53.878W, 528 m. a.s.l), 13-XII-2011, 14-XII-2011, 15-XII- 2011, Alvarez-Aquino ( MLP) ; 1♀, San Ignacio , (- 27.254S - 55.31W, 168 m. a.s.l), 12-XII-2011, Alvarez ( MLP) ; 6♀, Puerto Iguazú , (- 25.604S - 54.586W, 178 m. a.s.l), 25-IX-2012, Alvarez ( MLP) ; 11♀, Parque Nacional Iguazú , Dest. Apepú, (- 25.563S - 54.596W, 217m. a.s.l), 5-7-IX-2013, Alvarez ( MLP) ; 14♀, Parque Nacional Iguazú , (- 25.69S - 54.478W, 241 m. a.s.l), 1-12-IX-2013, Ramello ( MLP) ; 2♀, Parque Nacional Iguazú , (25.69S - 54.478W, 241 m. a.s.l), 9-IX-2013, 10-IX-2013, Alvarez ( MLP) ; 224♀, Parque Nacional Iguazú , 19-IX-2008, 23-IX-2008, 26-IX-2008, 17-XI-2008, 18-XI-2008, 16-XII-2008, 13-II-2008, 14-II-2009, Zamudio-Collesselli-Gómez de Olivera ( MLP) ; 250♀, Parque Nacional Iguazú , 19-IX-2008, 23-IX-2008, 26-IX-2008, 17-XI-2008, 18-XI-2008, 16-XII-2008, 13-II-2 0 0 8, 14-II-2009, Zamudio-Collesselli-Gómez de Olivera (IBSI-Api) ; 1♀, Puerto Iguazú , (- 25.604S - 54.586W, 178 m. a.s.l), 20-III-2013, Lucia ( MLP) ; 1♂, Puerto Iguazú , 10-XII-2012, Zamudio ( MLP) ; 22♀, Puerto Aguirre (= Puerto Iguazú ), III-1 934, Kenet-Hayward ( MACN) ; 2♀, Parque Nacional Iguazú , 10-XI- 1973, Willink-Tomsic ( IFML) ; 21♀, Puerto Bemberg , Alto Paraná, 7-21-III-1934, K.J. Hayward ( NHMUK) ; 3♂, Puerto Bemberg , Alto Paraná, 13-14-XII-1933, K.J. Hayward ( NHMUK) ; 1♀, San Pedro, Reserva Esmeralda , 27- I-2004, F. Vossler ( MACN) ; 4♀, Urugua-í , IX-2005, F. Vossler ( MACN) ; 3♀, Aristóbulo del Valle , 11-XII-1995, N. Pascual ( MACN) ; 1♀, Loreto, II-1945, Viana ( MACN) ; 10♀, Oberá , 4-III-2010, M. Ferreira ( MACN) ; 2♀ 13♂, Oberá (- 27.47°S - 55.10°W, 340 m. a.s.l), 28-IV-2014, L. Alvarez ( MLP) ; 5♀, Montecarlo (- 26.57°S - 54.74°W, 340 m. a.s.l), 29-IV-2014, L. Alvarez ( MLP) ; 7♀, Oberá, Guaraní (- 27.52°S - 55.16°W), 28-IV-2014, L. Alvarez ( MLP) . Salta; 17♀, El Portezuelo , 7-XI-1935, Tosti ( MLP) ; 1♀, Tablillas , II-1944, Duret-Martínez ( MLP) ; 1♀, Urundel , 2-XII-1952, Ogloblin ( MLP) ; 2♀, Finca del Rey (= Parque Nacional El Rey ), 31-XI-1952, Obloblin ( MLP) ; 1♀ 2♂, Saucelito , 1-XII-1952, Ogloblin ( MLP) ; 14♀, Valle Morado , (- 23.507S - 64.783W, 390 m. a.s.l), 14-16-XII- 2012, Alvarez ( MLP) ; 1♀, Rta. 34 Km 1552, 15-XI-2009, Meriggi-Alvarez ( MLP) ; 1♂, Dpto. General San Martín (- 22.292°S - 63.84°W, 880 m. a.s.l), 21-25-VII-2011, L. Pagano ( MLP) ; 6♀, Río Pescado 20 Km N. Orán, (369 m. a.s.l), 27-II-1964, Weyrauch ( IFML) ; 1♀, Río Pescado ca. Orán (22˚53’ S 64˚27’ W), 11-20-VII-1970, Porter ( IFML) ; 1♀, Urundel , 26-XI-1979, Willink-Fidalgo-Domínguez ( IFML) ; 18♀ 1♂, Rosario de Lerma , XII-1992, A. Roiga Alsina-L. Horovitz ( MACN) ; 1♀, Rosario de la Frontera, El Naranjo , XI-1950, R.N. Orfila ( MACN) . Tucumán; 1♂, Tacanas , San Pedro de Colalao, Arnau ( MLP) ; 2♀, Tucumán, 24-XI-1942 ( MLP) ; 7♀, Reserva Forestal , 18-XI-51 ( MLP) ; 1♀, Guasapampa (= Huasa Pampa ), 1-XII-1940 ( MLP) ; 1♀, Manantiales (= Manantial ), 7-XII-1942 ( MLP) ; 12♀, Alpachiri , (- 27.334S - 65.741W, 611 m. a.s.l), 29-III-2012, Alvarez-Lucia-Gennari ( MLP) ; 5♀, Rta. 365, (-27.354S -65.802W, 628 m.a.s.l), 29-III-2012, Alvarez-Lucia-Gennari (MLP); 4♀, Dique el Cadillal, 31-X-2013, Alvarez-Lucia (MLP); 6♀ 3♂, Tucumán, (430 m. a.s.l), 1-XI-1964, 10-X-1966, 10-V-1967, 18-XI-1967, 20-XII-1968, 21-XII-1969, - XII-1969, Weyrauch (IFML); 1♂, San Miguel de Tucumán, X-1947 , Córdoba ( IFML) ; 2♂, San Pedro de Colalao, II-1958, Arnau ( IFML) ; 3♀, Parque Sierra San Javier, Horco Molle , (700 m. a.s.l), 15-I-1976, Stange ( IFML) ; 1♀, Horco Molle , 17-18-X-1964, Haedo Rossi ( IFML) ; 2♀, Tacanas , Depto. Trancas, 16-XII-1976, Stange ( IFML) ; 1♀, Raco , 1-I-1974, Stange ( IFML) ; 1♀, San Miguel de Tucumán, Stange ( IFML) ; 3♀, El Cadillal , 4-I-1976, Stange ( IFML) ; 3♀, San Pedro de Colalao, (- 26.24°S - 65.484°W 1080 m.a.s.l), 5-XI-2013, Alvarez-Lucia ( MLP) ; 82♀ 13♂, INTA EEA Famaillá, (-27.02S -65.381W, 374 m.a.s.l), Alvarez-Lucia-Gennari (MLP); 3♀, El Cadillal , 7-XI-1993, A. Roig Alsina ( MACN) ; 2♀, Tafi Viejo , III-1917 ( MACN) ; 12♀, Yerba Buena , 21-XII-2010, Gennari ( MACN) ; 16♀, Graneros , 2-X-2010, Gennari ( MACN) .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Plebeia droryana (Friese). 1 – 2, worker; 3 – 5, male. 1, head in frontal view; 2, scutum and scutellum in dorsal view; 3, genital capsule in dorsal view; 4, fifth metasomal sternum; 5, sixth metasomal sternum. Scale bars 1 – 2: 0.5 mm; 3 – 5: 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 15 – 16. Occurrence maps of Plebeia droryana and P. emerinoides in Argentina. Blue circles, P. droryana. Red squares, P. emerinoides. Star, Santa Ana, type locality of P. emerinoides. Triangle, Villarica, type locality of Trigona nigriceps Friese. Cross, Montevideo, Uruguay, southernmost record of Mourella caerulea.